BTRC serves notice upon ETV for broadcasting illegally

The telecom regulator yesterday served a show cause notice on private satellite channel ETV (Ekushey Television) asking for an explanation from it for broadcasting illegally. The channel will have to come up with its answer within seven days.

Zia Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), said ETV did not have a radio equipment licence which is a requirement for any kind of broadcasting.

He also said the frequency the channel used was in a suspended situation. “So they do not have the frequency as well.”

“Marking out these two issues -- radio equipment licence and frequency -- the BTRC has sent the letter to ETV,” Ahmed said.

He said the BTRC would take further steps once it received ETV's answer.

Citing a provision of the Telecommunications Law, the BTRC chief said anyone could be fined Tk 300 crore and sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years for broadcasting illegally.

For their part, the ETV authorities said they were yet to receive such a letter from the BTRC.

Maj Md Rezaul Karim, general manager (administration), said all the administrative-related letters were supposed to come to him but he had not receives any such letter until yesterday evening.

ETV, the first private terrestrial channel that broke years of state monopoly in the broadcast media, was shut down on August 29, 2002 following a Supreme Court verdict that declared the channel's licence illegal.

The channel resumed operation on December 1, 2006 as a satellite channel.

March 11, 2012

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